The White House is exploring legal options to block former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman from releasing additional tapes after she published what she claimed was a secret conversation of Chief of Staff John Kelly “threatening” her in the high-tech Situation Room, ABC News reports.
Manigault Newman was fired from her job as White House adviser last December by Kelly, and released the tape of her conversation during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning for the release of her new book, “Unhinged: An Insider Account of the Trump White House."
In the recording, Kelly allegedly calls for Manigault-Newman's "friendly departure" from the White House without any "difficulty in the future relative to your reputation." Kelly continues by saying that things could get "ugly" for her, and that she was "open to some legal action" for conduct that would merit a court martial if she were in the military.
The White House pushed back on her actions, saying Manigault Newman would have flagrantly violated security protocols by taping Kelly in the room.
“The very idea a staff member would sneak a recording device into the White House Situation Room, shows a blatant disregard for our national security –- and then to brag about it on national television further proves the lack of character and integrity of this disgruntled former White House employee,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
That comment was a "very obvious ... threat," Manigault-Newman said on NBC.
Many White House officials are scared Manigault Newman will release their private conversations, according to ABC News.
"She's on a different level," a senior White House official said. "She terrified me."